You know when a sewing pattern catches your eye and you have to make it right away? That’s what happened when I saw the Ressac Sweatshirt by Maison Fauve.
One of our lovely members in the Modern Makers community made it, and I was instantly smitten.
The design is very clever, especially those ribbed side panels, they add a fun, sporty touch.
Well, I actually ended up making three (yes, three!), now I’ve got two cosy jumpers I absolutely love, one to give away, and lots of tips to share if you’re thinking of making your own.
The fabric used is our Good Earth Cotton Sweater Knit in Burnt Toffee, one of the two new custom colours we recently had made. It's 100% Australian-made, thick and warm, with matching ribbing.
I originally had my eye on the Amaranth (plum) colour, but after getting my colours done (another result from a Style Masterclass we ran in Modern Makers), I realised there is zero plum in my palette! But browns like the Burnt Toffee are and it pairs beautifully with all the blue garments I’ve made over the years, who knew brown would be such a good match for me? It's a colour I have ignored for years (we didn't even have it in our fabric collections for the first few years!!).
Version 1: The Oversized One
I started with a size 40 because the fabric I used didn’t have much stretch, and I thought sizing up would be safer (my measurements put me in a size 38). But that was a bit silly in hindsight as the side panels are ribbing, so they add plenty of give! Plus, the pattern is designed to be oversized already which I only realised after I made it.
I also added 3cm in length after hearing it is designed to be short. I added 3cm to the top of the front bodice (easier than changing the pocket part), the back bodice and the side panels.
I really enjoyed sewing it but sadly it ended up too big. I'm not a fan of oversized clothes, I'd rather have them sit snug rather than hang loose. So that one’s going to a good home, and I moved on to try again.
Version 2: A Navy Simplified One
I wanted to test the sizing with a simplified version in navy. I skipped the front pocket this time (so I could easily adjust the front seams if needed), and went down two sizes to a 36.
I also skipped the back centre seam for simplicity and cut the back panel on the fold, but made a few tweaks:
- I tapered the two back seams in by about 1cm each at the bottom therefore, taking out about 4cm around the bodice circumference.
- I shortened the bottom ribbing band by 6cm at the back which added a seam there in the middle. That way I had to stretch it more when sewing it onto the back bodice so it would sit more snug. That helped the jumper sit closer to my body rather than hanging loose.
Now the fit was great, almost perfect... But sizing down made it shorter, and even with the 3cm length I’d added, it feels borderline. But I'll definitely wear this one a lot.
Version 3: The Final One... for now
As I did still want one in brown, I immediately started on Ressac number 3.
And made these final adjustments:
- Added an extra 2cm to the bodice length, bringing the total to 5cm.
- On the pattern pieces: Took 1cm off each back seam at the bottom only. I drew a line starting from nothing at the top, down to 1cm at the bottom. I therefore made this change on both the back bodice piece and the side panel (on the side that gets sewn on the the back bodice).
- On the pattern piece for the back ribbing: Removed 3cm on the fold (so 6cm total)
- I did some stopstiching with Maraflex Thread which made the process so easy and gave me stretchy seams that won't pop.
- When attaching the bottom band, I realised it still wasn’t snug enough, so I took out another 4cm (folded and stitched at 2cm), which gave it a nice fitted look. That’s why there’s again a seam in the band at the back. So I'll adjust my pattern piece for when Ressac number 4 comes along!
Now it fits exactly how I like, snug, warm, and not too short. I'm so happy with how it turned out!
Thinking of Making One?
The Ressac Sweatshirt is a really fun and satisfying sew, it comes together quickly and the design details make it feel special. That ribbing on the sides is just brilliant. And if you use our matching ribbing (which we always try to stock in the same colours), you’ll get a nice professional finish.
So now I’ve got two jumpers to keep me toasty this winter, in colours that work perfectly with the rest of my handmade wardrobe.
If you're keen to make one too, you can find the pattern here. If it's out of stock, don’t worry. You can grab the PDF version from the designer and we’re more than happy to print the A0 sheets for you, which you can order here.
Happy sewing!
